President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to warn the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Ben Kalu, to desist from meddling in the internal affairs of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
According to a political pressure group, Abia Renaissance for Good Governance, the Deputy Speaker wants to dictate to the University who it should appoint as the Deputy Vice Chancellor
At a press conference in Umuahia, the group’s Cordinator, Mazi Ikoro Kanu, alleged that Kalu, working in concert wih the current vice-chancellor, Prof Maduebibisi Iwe,is hell bent on imposing one Prof Ursla Akanwa as the next DVC against the wishes of even the majority of the University Senate whose duty it is to elect such.
Kanu said the most annoying thing is that the Deputy speaker who hails from Bende in Abia State is dropping the name of Tinubu in ” this sinister plot”
According to him,not withstanding the fact that the said Prof Akanwa hails from Imo state, Kalu wants to shortchange an Abia son who is even more qualified for the job.
Said he , ” One of the two DVCs, Prof Udo Herbert’s tenure is ending in a few weeks’ time . The most qualified person to replace him should also be from Abia or any other state, but certainly not Imo since the other DVC, Prof Asawalam is already from Imo ”
He described as unfortunate and disheartening that even when Kalu was told that Akanwa cannot be DVC or VC because she did not have a degree in agriculture as provided by the extant law, he was still insisting that she should be appointed.
Mazi Kanu noted that although the front runner for the DVC post, Prof S N Ukachukwu hails from the same village with the current Vice Chancellor, another person from Abia should be given the post.
He disclosed that the race for the DVC post was actually a rehearsal for the main contest for who should be the next vice-chancellor to succeed Prof Maduebibisi Iwe.
He therefore urged the ASUU President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke who is a staff of MOUAU to work in concert with other progressive minds to ensure that the university does not become an appendage of the office of the Deputy speaker.
Mazi Kanu noted with regret that both Kalu and other unnamed politicians were planning to turn MOUAU into a battle ground with the upcoming contest for the position of Deputy vice-chancellor.
He warned that his group would not stand by and watch selfish politicians appropriate MOUAU as their fiefdom.